My visit to a Catholic church

             Growing up, my family never practiced any religion. My parents educated me on what religion was and why certain people practice certain religions, and basically left it up to me to figure out what religious path, if any, I would want for myself, as I grew older. As a child of the public school system in Philadelphia, I have had Jewish friends, Muslim friends, Catholic friends, and even friends like myself who have had no religious affiliation. I have been to numerous Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, Communion parties, and even a couple of different religious weddings. When assigned to attend a religious service not of my own faith, I had some options but decided to take my neighbor Rita up on her offer to allow me to be a guest at her church in South Philadelphia, Epiphany of Our Lord, on one Sunday morning.
             Epiphany of Our Lord, located at 13th and Jackson streets, was this beautiful building filled with huge stained glass windows and statues of Saints on the outside. As we entered the church, there was a marble bowl filled with holy water. Rita dipped her finger into the water and blessed herself by making the sign of the cross on her forehead, lips, and heart. She showed me how to do the same, and we entered the church and found a seat. Men and women of all ages and races were seated together, and some were kneeling and praying, even before the service started. Some were more dressed than others, but the overall dress attire was casual.
             As the service started, everyone in the church rose from their seats and began to sing the opening song being played on the church organ, which was located in the balcony of the church. Two altar boys dressed in red and white garments carrying a cross and a bible made their way down the center of the church towards the altar, followed by Father Calabro, the priest for this service. When Father reached the front of the church, he kneeled at the altar, made the sign of the cross, and told everyone to be ...

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My visit to a Catholic church. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 20:06, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/8495.html